Credit : Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's X
KOTA BHARU, October 31, 2026 – Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim says the government will raise grants for small traders and hawkers to RM200 million in 2027, as he launched the Kelantan Usahawan Bangkit Scheme in Kota Bharu on Saturday afternoon.
In a post shared on X on Saturday evening, Anwar said the scheme was part of the MADANI Government’s effort to build up the capacity of hawkers and small traders so that they could grow their businesses and increase their family income. “In Kelantan, applications for the Sejati MADANI Usahawan B40 programme have reached 4,000. For 2027, we are increasing the allocation for this grant to RM200 million so that the benefits can be channelled directly to traders,” he wrote, adding that the government would step up efforts to help more entrepreneurs, especially women.
The launch was held at the grounds of AEON Mall Lembah Sireh in Kota Bharu at 5pm, according to the verbatim text of the speech published by the Prime Minister’s Office. Kelantan Menteri Besar Datuk Mohd Nassuruddin Daud was also present, and Anwar thanked the state government for its cooperation.
In his speech, Anwar said 446 of the more than 4,000 applications from B40 entrepreneurs in Kelantan had been approved so far, Bernama reported. He said even small sums could make a real difference when channelled to traders’ specific needs, giving examples of grants of RM5,000, RM3,000 and even RM1,800. “I have seen businesses that simply need a small, inexpensive refrigerator to keep their goods from spoiling. That alone can increase their returns by thousands of ringgit a month,” he said, as quoted by the New Straits Times.
Priority for women traders
Anwar said he had instructed the Implementation Coordination Unit (ICU) in Kelantan to give priority to women in its assistance programmes, noting that most of the scheme’s applicants were women and that women in Kelantan had a long track record in market trading. He pointed to the experience of Amanah Ikhtiar Malaysia, where he said women borrowers repaid close to 99 per cent of their loans.
Values alongside technology
In his X post, Anwar said he had stressed in his speech the need for the country to master knowledge and new technology, including artificial intelligence (AI), so that Malaysia would not be left behind in global competition. “However, while reaching for the sky, we must stay rooted to the ground, anchored in values, identity and good character,” he wrote.
“Knowledge and intelligence must go hand in hand with trustworthiness and good manners. We have witnessed major scandals such as 1MDB, Tabung Haji and FELDA, masterminded by people who were knowledgeable and clever but low in character and personal values. As a result, the nation’s wealth was plundered and the people were forced to bear the consequences,” he added. That was why, he said, the MADANI Government placed emphasis on values and governance in developing the country.
Anwar also called on parents and teachers to keep educating and guiding children with knowledge, good manners and affection. “The responsibility of building a knowledgeable and well-mannered generation begins at home and is strengthened at school, for the future of the nation and the country,” he wrote.
The launch was the first stop of the Prime Minister’s one-day working visit to Kelantan, which later took him to Pondok Lubok Tapah in Pasir Mas and to the Sebarkan Salam@Kota Bharu Berselawat programme at Dataran Muhammadi in Kota Bharu that night.
Source: Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim on X, with additional reporting from the Prime Minister’s Office, Bernama, Malay Mail and the New Straits Times.
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